Precious Bazaar Review - 5/10

Disappointed - I completely lost the plot, literally (!) My mistake to compare this musical to Bombay Dreams, or any other live theatre performance by "Asians". It was certainly different - but unfortunately not very good. Storyline - confusing, acting - so so, apart from three of the actors who were excellent, but couldn't carry the entire performance of the show on their shoulders. Dances - fairly good, the best thing about the show were the costumes - they outshone everything, and were to the standard I was expecting from the entire performance.

To summarise the story - coconut Brit Asian girl (Suhani) is sent to an assignment to India reluctantly, her hunky boyfriend (Amar) is constantly being seduced by babe(s) in a - well, I think it was meant to be a dance school - couldn't quite make out what her boyfriend did - but who cares, he took his top off!!!!… She goes to India, to a supposed dance school, which is actually a brothel (courtesans' kohta).

Here's where the confusion starts - you'd think that the play is about this Brit Asian girl going to India - hmm, well no - the play is really taken over by two other roles, not sure if that is intentional, but their acting definitely overtook the other two supposed main roles. The courtesan Roshni (Juhi Chawla look & act alike) & Prem, Indian born but Brit educated, son of an Indian MP, who for some reason is a photographer? Both the actors completely took over the show and were exceptionally good - maybe too good for this play. The third character who was also excellent was Vijanti Devi or Taiy - the courtesan's madam, who played the role down to the crude and corniness together with the class and intelligence courtesans themselves normally have.

From here on its anyones guess what the story was meant to be, too many plots and too many twists but it just didn't gel together. I'm sure the audience laughed at parts where they weren't supposed to, (the look of horror on some of the actors faces revealed that…). There were too many conflicting aspects to the play, much like this review!!!

I don't think the true potential of the play or the actors was brought out. For example having seen Zafreen in action on the dance floor at the AMAs' I was disappointed in her dance performances - I think this had more to do with the role she was playing, an exploited younger adult - hence her belly dancing routine was marred by the role, almost embarrassing to appreciate it.

Sorry to say - I was really hoping for something better, chatting to members of the audience almost wondering if it was just me who thought this comments such as "its like a play you put together at college for a laugh with your mates", "I think it's a bit tacky", "I thought It was going to be better than this", confirmed my opinion. On the other side of the coin comments only extended to "It was ok".